Parks and Recreation introduces "I'm Leslie Knope"

     NBC's Parks and Recreation premiere, "I'm Leslie Knope," finds Leslie (Amy Poehler) fumbling about breaking up with Ben (Adam Scott), something that becomes urgent when a disturbing incident kicks her campaign into high gear. Said incident is an e-mailed penis photo, which Ann (Rashida Jones) diagnoses as ill. This soon leads to Ann's inbox filling up with more and more genitalia pictures. Ron (Nick Offerman) hides in the woods from Tammy One (Patricia Clarkson, Six Feet Under, Shutter Island), who is going to audit him. April (Aubrey Plaza) takes over for Ron, and helps Andy (Chris Pratt) move up in the world.

     Leslie is faced with an incredibly difficult choice: Ben or her career. She isn't unique in having to make that decision, but it's heart breaking to watch her go through it. Technically, Ben is her boss, even though they have the chemistry of equals. Leslie's decision to run for office, though, has been a long time dream, finally come true. She cannot possibly give that up, after she has worked so hard. The good news is, if (when?) she wins, Ben will no longer be her boss, and they can be together. Right?

     Ben loves Leslie very, very much. How else can one explain the grace with which he steps aside when she cannot bring herself to end things? He touchingly gives her her first campaign button, knowing just how important it is for Leslie to hold an elected position, likely the first of many. Not many guys could make such a noble sacrifice, and this only makes Ben more worthy of her affection.

     Ron and Leslie's relationship has grown into something just as sweet, in an entirely different way. When Leslie gets stuck, she runs to Ron. He has confidence in her, and supports her. Even when Leslie moves out of the Parks and Recreation department, she will probably always return to her mentor. Not only that, but their relationship goes both ways. Through Leslie, Ron realizes he must return to confront Tammy One.

     Which may be a blueprint for future seasons. After all, even is Leslie loses this election, which could happen, though shouldn't, she will run again. Being in city government means she can still be in the building and in the cast. Surely, an elected Leslie would find plenty of time to get involved in Parks and Recreation activities. This also opens up higher positions for other cast members to move, and would be a good development, all around.

     Andy is already making progress, as he takes Tom's (Aziz Ansari) old job as Leslie's assistant. April makes that happen, and proves her leadership skills. Does this mean that when Leslie moves on, April may take her job? Andy can be an assistant, but he could never handle what Leslie does. April probably wouldn't work as hard as Leslie, but she does have the gumption to make things happen.

     Tom remains in the cast, stopping by frequently in "I'm Leslie Knope" to drop off branded material for his new business, Entertainment 720. Will this continue, or will Tom seek to return to the Parks and Recreation fold? Considering the only job for him at the moment might be shoe shiner, let's hope that Tom can make it in the private sector. After all, the city government has plenty of use for event planners, or whatever it is that Tom is / will be doing.

     Parks and Recreation also stars Rob Lowe, Retta, and Jim O'Heir. The series airs Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on NBC.

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Saturday Night Lives has Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga end season on high note

     NBC's Saturday Night Live ends its 36th season by bringing back frequent and popular guest Justin Timberlake as the host, and Lady Gaga as the musical guest. The monologue begins with Timberlake singing about how he's not going to sing tonight, which proves to be extremely untrue over and over again. The episode is full of recurring sketches, including a revisit of The Barry Gibb Talk Show with SNL alum Jimmy Fallon, a new "Secret Password," Timberlake singing in a cheesy costume, a broken amusement park ride with creepy robots, Herb Welch, and the third in a series of digital shorts that Timberlake and Andy Samberg perform. Lady Gaga also appears in several sketches, as well as doing her customary two musical numbers.

     This is arguably the best episode of season 36. While the opening sketch with disgraced IMF chair Dominique Strauss-Kahn in a prison cell with two hardened-looking criminals talking economics before they rape him is only mildly amusing, as soon as Timberlake appears, almost every segment is strong. Besides the opening, the weak points are "Secret Password" and Herb Welch, which are both done to death, and are virtually always the same thing. It is time to retire them.

     Perhaps the most anticipated sketch is the Digital Short. Timberlake and Samberg delight with "Dick in a Box" and "Mother Lover," playing the same characters. Their newest begins with the duo leaving their moms' houses, which means brief cameos for Susan Sarandon and Patricia Clarkson, who appear in "Mother Lover." They are then both called to a girl's house to have a threesome. In "Threesome," Gaga proves she has real comic chops as she prepositions the boys, who have sex with and without her. The lyrics are hysterical, and the hapless, sleazy characters that Samberg and Timberlake play for the third time are good for many more laughs.

     Lady Gaga dresses as a bottle of wine in a sketch where Timberlake, as a bottle of beer, faces off with Kristen Wiig, as a teabag who inadvertently says dirty things, as they battle for control of the crowd passing by. All three get to sing parodies as they try to lure the public to sample their beverages. While this is something done before, enough changes that it still feel fresh.

     The third sketch to include Gaga is a game show called "What's That Name?" In it, Timberlake is revealed to not know the names of girls he sleeps with or former N*SYNC band mates, while Gaga remembers small details about fans she meets only briefly. Timberlake shows a real willingness to poke fun at himself, while Gaga plays off of her reputation as caring Mother Monster. Because they are both playing versions of themselves, this sketch has a meta level, and shows they both have senses of humor.

     Weekend Update, which is always funny, no matter how lame the show gets, brings back "Really!?!" with a solo Seth Meyers. It doesn't work quite as well as when he does it with Amy Poehler, but "Realy!?!" is very funny, and it's nice to see it's not dead. Also in Update, Samberg plays Nicholas Cage berating Bradley Cooper (the real one) about why Cage is not in The Hangover Part II. Cooper is a good sport in the unexpected cameo. Finally, Update ends with Seth leaving to go on vacation with Stefan (Bill Hader), a character that gets more amusing each time he appears. It is a fitting end to the season.

     All in all, SNL goes out with some very funny material, talented guests, and wonderful music-based sketches. If only this quality can be maintained next year, the series will be back on top in no time. Saturday Night Live will return this fall to NBC.

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Article first published as TV Review: Saturday Night Live - "Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga" on Blogcritics.